Goodbye, Farewell
by fptc77
Summary: Kurt says goodbye. Warning: major character death.


Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, or any of the characters, etc., etc., etc.

This is an AU, obviously, set after season 4.

* * *

Kurt opened the door to Finn's old room in Lima, hoping against hope that somehow, Finn—his Frankenteen—would be getting up out of bed, his hair in need of a good combing.

But Finn's bed was, of course, empty.

_He's dead._

Kurt had just returned to New York with Rachel after visiting Finn and their parents for Thanksgiving.

It was just two days later that a sobbing Carole had called to tell Kurt that Finn had been driving home from the mall after picking up a Christmas present from Rachel, when his car was hit by a drunk driver. Both Finn and the driver had been killed instantly.

Kurt needed all his self-control not to smash his phone against the wall; instead, he, Carole, and Burt all sobbed until the batteries in Kurt's phone died. Kurt kept sobbing for hours after that, and he imagined that Carole and Burt, did, too.

The days after that were a blur: flying back to Lima with Rachel, joining members of New Directions—and a few of the Warblers, and even a few members of Vocal Adrenaline— at a spontaneous rehearsal to sing for Finn at the funeral. Worst of all was tearing up at every little reminder of Finn: his clothes, the picture of him as a child with his birth father, even the first sight of Finn's father's chair caused Kurt to break down.

Kurt was glad that he didn't have to speak too much at Finn's funeral. About all he could say was "Finn Hudson once said he had my back. And, for as long as he lived, he did. Thank you, Finn." He managed to sing "Blackbird" without breaking down, though just barely. Finn's friends joined Kurt to sing "Lullaby" and "Pure Imagination," just as they had at Jean Sylvester's funeral. Taking his seat next to Carole, his tears flowed again.

Now, the morning after the funeral, Kurt walked into the living room, clutching an envelope against his chest. He made his way to Finn's father's chair, and sat down.

Carole had brought the envelope to Kurt before he went to bed the previous night.

"Kurt, sweetie, before Finn went off and joined the army, he gave me this envelope. He said that if anything—" Carole started to cry, but managed to stop long enough to finish her thought. "That if anything happened to him, I should give this to you. He also left one for Rachel; I gave it to her after the funeral."

"Thanks," Kurt said. "I don't think I can deal with this right now. Maybe in the morning."

"Sure thing, sweetie," Carole said. "I'll leave it right here."

Waking up the next morning, Kurt had thought about having breakfast first, but didn't have the appetite. He did get a letter opener. _Can't ruin the last thing I'll ever read from Finn_, Kurt thought.

He slowly pulled out the letter, and his eyes glimmered a bit as he saw the letter was typed. _He always did have bad handwriting._

_Dear Kurt:_

_If you're reading this, I guess that means I'm dead._

_I know you don't believe in God, so. . . . I guess we can just agree that wherever I am, I'm not feeling any pain right now._

_I just wanted to tell you something I didn't tell you enough: __Every time I think about those awful words I used before Burt and Carole got married, I want to kick myself. _You are the strongest, bravest person I've ever met. 

Kurt stopped reading for a moment. _Finn, I wish I could tell you how much your friendship meant. You may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, but you were certainly a loyal, loyal friend, and the best half-brother I could have hoped for._

_Knowing you, and my mom, and Burt, I'm sure you've all been crying for a while now. I know I cried when I found out my dad didn't die in combat (my birth dad, I mean, not Burt!). I did my best to hide it when you were around, but it hurt all the same. But after a while, the pain just wasn't as bad. It never quite went away, but it got a lot better._

_I hope the same will be true for you, Kurt. You're young, and you have a lot to live for. I hope you and Blaine are still together; you two are the cutest couple I've ever seen (even Rachel agrees with me). _

Kurt couldn't help but laugh at this, as he stared at the engagement ring on his finger.

_If you're not, I do hope you'll get back together, or that you'll find someone else who makes you just as happy. Just remember the good times, and don't dwell on the bad ones._

_Well, I'm not sure how to end this letter. I hope it doesn't matter, because I hope you'll never read this. So, here goes._

_Your brother,_

_Finn_

After re-reading the letter a few times, and, yes, crying for a while, Kurt fell asleep again. Burt and Carole found him asleep in the chair, with the letter tucked neatly inside the envelope.

Epilogue

Fifteen years later

Kurt and Blaine were standing beside Finn's grave. Every time Kurt returned to Lima, he stopped by the cemetery to leave flowers. Usually, Blaine let him go alone, but this time he wanted Blaine there, along with their son, Finn.

Finn Hummel-Anderson stood between them, wearing a Calvin Klein jacket against the cold December weather. (Kurt insisted that any son of his would be well-dressed, straight or gay. Of course, Blaine didn't argue.) "Hey, his name's Finn, too."

"Yes, sweetie. We named you after him. He was my brother." Kurt didn't talk about his brother too much around the younger Finn, but he figured his son was old enough now. "It's cold. Let's go have lunch, and I'll tell you about him."

As Kurt, Blaine, and Finn walked away, the final thought on his mind was the same as it had been every time he had come here.

_Thank you, Finn._

* * *

RIP, Mr. Monteith.


End file.
